CONTACT of Mercer County

What CONTACT of Mercer County does

CONTACT of Mercer County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered at 60 S. Main St., Pennington, New Jersey, founded in 1975 by two local pastors to provide community-based crisis intervention. The organization delivers free, confidential crisis support services 24/7 through telephone, chat, and text, operating as an accredited partner center of the national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline network. Its core product lines are the 988 crisis line, the CONTACT Listening Line (a statewide non-crisis warmline for emotional support), and the Reassurance Program, which places daily wellness-check calls to Mercer County seniors living alone. The organization also runs training curricula in active listening, ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training), and Mental Health First Aid, and convenes a monthly Survivors of Suicide Loss support group.

The underlying technology stack is centered on accredited crisis hotline infrastructure with integrated chat and text platforms that route calls into the 988 national network. Service delivery is human-counselor-driven: roughly 11 paid counselors plus support staff and approximately 15–20 Reassurance volunteers handle the bulk of demand, supported by a continuous volunteer pipeline that has produced around 2,500 trained counselors since inception, including about 400 Princeton University students. The organization holds accreditation from the International Council for Helplines, organizational membership in the American Association of Suicidology, and a Charity Navigator 4-star rating; in 2025 it received a Joint Resolution from the New Jersey State Legislature honoring its 50-year tenure.

CONTACT operates as a nonprofit and does not charge end users. Funding is a mix of individual and organizational donations (via PayPal and Givebutter), federal grants tied to 988 participation (notably secured in 2022), and a $19,000 annual grant from Mercer County supporting the Reassurance Program. Volunteer recruitment, community partnerships, earned media coverage, and organic social channels drive awareness and intake. Geographic reach has expanded from Mercer County to statewide New Jersey, with annual service volumes of nearly 2,100 crisis calls, more than 2,300 Lifeline chats, and almost 13,000 wellness checks in 2022, and a 120% year-over-year increase in Listening Line volume following the November 2023 statewide relaunch.

Name

CONTACT of Mercer County

Legal name

CONTACT of Mercer County, NJ

Website

https://contactofmercer.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CONTACT of Mercer County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1975, that operates free, confidential 24/7 crisis intervention services across New Jersey via telephone, chat, and text as an accredited 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline partner, plus a statewide warmline and a senior wellness-check program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Crisis Intervention and Mental Health Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Individual and Family Services (6241), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral Health Crisis Services Management (988/Hotlines/Mobile Crisis Coordination) (HLAEAHAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGAEAH), Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD), Crisis Intervention & Suicide Prevention Services (EDALAFAD)

Keywords

• Crisis intervention services
• Suicide prevention hotline
• Emotional support warmline
• Senior wellness checks
• Mental health helpline

Headquarters

HQ city

Pennington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Grants: Primary funding from Mercer County government grants ($19,000 annual grant for Reassurance Program)
2. Donations: Charitable donations from individuals and organizations, including PayPal donation links on website

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CONTACT of Mercer County operates a suite of free, confidential crisis support services centered on suicide prevention and emotional wellness. Core offerings include the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (24/7 phone, chat, and text), the CONTACT Listening Line warmline for non-crisis emotional support, and the Reassurance Program providing daily wellness check calls to seniors living alone. All services are delivered by trained volunteer and paid counselors across New Jersey.

Product overview

CONTACT of Mercer County operates a suite of crisis support services centered on suicide prevention and emotional wellness. The core offerings include the CONTACT Listening Line (a warmline for non-crisis emotional support), the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (24/7 crisis hotline with phone, chat, and text capabilities), and the Reassurance Program (daily wellness calls for seniors). The organization provides training courses in active listening and suicide intervention, and hosts a support group for survivors of suicide loss. All services are free, confidential, and delivered by trained volunteers and staff counselors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline A 24/7 crisis hotline providing telephone, chat, and text services for individuals facing mental health crises and suicidal ideation. CONTACT is an accredited partner center for the national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline network.
• CONTACT Listening Line A statewide warmline telephone service offering compassionate listening, emotional support, mental health resources, and problem-solving for New Jersey residents who may be in crisis but not at imminent risk of suicide. Available Monday through Friday, 9am-5pm.
• Chat & Text Crisis Services Confidential crisis chat and text services accessible through 988lifeline.org/chat or by texting 988. Primarily serves teens and young adults, providing anonymous support for those in emotional distress.
• Reassurance Program A free daily outreach service for senior citizens (age 60+) who live alone in Mercer County, providing wellness check calls and social connection to reduce loneliness and isolation. Funded in part by Mercer County.
• Training Courses Extensive training programs including Active Listening, ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training), and Mental Health First Aid. The 10-week training course teaches compassionate listening skills, telephone crisis intervention, and suicide prevention for prospective volunteers and staff.
• Survivors of Suicide Loss Support Group A support group for individuals who have lost a loved one to suicide, meeting monthly at Pennington United Methodist Church at no charge.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 2,100 crisis calls answered and 2,300+ chats/texts responded to in 2022 alone
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Samaritans USA: Nonprofit offering 24/7 emotional support via call and text to people in distress. Highly comparable to CONTACT in mission, volunteer-based delivery model, and crisis hotline service category, though historically UK-rooted.
• IMAlive: Online crisis chat service providing real-time support for people in emotional distress. Directly comparable to CONTACT's chat-based crisis services in terms of online delivery model and target use case (suicide prevention and emotional support).
• The Trevor Project: Leading nonprofit providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for LGBTQ+ young people via phone, chat, and text. Directly comparable to CONTACT's youth-focused crisis chat/text offering, with similar volunteer/staff model and 988 network integration.
• Trans Lifeline: Peer-run nonprofit hotline offering phone and online emotional support staffed by transgender and queer volunteers. Comparable to CONTACT in being a free, volunteer-staffed crisis hotline serving vulnerable populations, with overlapping target demographics.
• Crisis Text Line: National 24/7 text-based crisis intervention nonprofit serving the US and Canada. Closely comparable to CONTACT's 988 chat/text services, with a similar volunteer-trained counselor model and similar target population of teens and young adults in distress.

Emerging players

• The Jed Foundation: Nonprofit focused on protecting emotional health and preventing suicide among teens and young adults. Comparable to CONTACT in its youth mental health and suicide prevention mission, with adjacent (rather than directly competing) programs around prevention and education.

Broad incumbents

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (Vibrant Emotional Health): The national umbrella network that CONTACT serves as an accredited partner center for. Comparable as the broader crisis-services ecosystem in which CONTACT operates, and analogous in mission and service categories.
• Veterans Crisis Line: Federally operated crisis line for Veterans, service members, and their families, integrated into the 988 network. Comparable to CONTACT as a 988-partner crisis line operating 24/7 across phone, chat, and text.

Others

• 2-1-1 Service (United Way): Free, confidential information and referral service for community health and social services, including crisis support routing. Comparable to CONTACT as a complementary community service channel that often refers callers to crisis hotlines.

Regional players

• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) New Jersey: Statewide NJ affiliate of NAMI providing mental health support groups, education, and helpline referrals. Comparable to CONTACT as a New Jersey–based mental health nonprofit delivering emotional support, education, and referrals, though focused more on support groups than crisis intervention.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@contactofmercercounty7865
• Facebookfacebook.com/CONTACTofMercerNJ
• Instagraminstagram.com/contactofmercernj
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/contact-of-mercer-county-new-jersey-inc

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CONTACT of Mercer County